l.AKID.E — THK GILLS AND TEliNS — STERNA. 



287 



winirs rapidly and without intormissioii ; tlitii all at onco tlioy wovild descend iK'r|ien- 

 dioularly. at tiie same time turninj: the body in a ji'iky, ivivgiilar uianMor. On toui'lun;^ 

 the water the birils would disappear with a suiUlen splash. l>ut reajipear a uiunuMit 

 later, struggling a.'* it' it were not an easy thing to rise again; then all at oni'e tlu'v 

 would utter jdaintive cries, as if alarnicd. and Hy off along the coast ; but wouhl n-turn 

 again, and calmly resume their wonted occupation. When satisfied, this bird betakes 

 itself to some buoy marking a sunken tishpot. and there reposes. The tisiicrmcn. on 

 ^turning to their jxjts at early day. often tind it sitting on their lnu\vs. so fearless that 

 the eanoe will almost touch it before it will rty. Though wel>-fi>oted. it is rarely known 

 to swim ; and. when wounded, struggles in the water as a land bird would do. 



In Florida Audubon found this Tern surprisingly shy. At first the birds were in 

 great Hocks, resorting at low water to a large flat sandbar, where they reposed await- 

 ing the return of the tide. For several days he was unable to proiiue a speciij^cn, 

 and only succeeded by employing several lunits to join in the pursuit. After one 

 li;id been wounded there was no difficulty in procuring others. He found this i'l^rn 

 on the St. John's Kiver, at a distance of several miles from the sea. Wlicn dist\ubcd 

 at its breeding-place, it manifests the noisy displeasure so characteristic of its tribe, 

 \utcring loud cries that may Ih' heard to the distance of half a mile ov more. 



On the 11th of May. 1832. Audubon saw it breeding on one of the Tortugas. The 

 eggs liad been dropped on the bare sand a few yards from high-water mark, ami (lur- 

 ing the hrat of the day none of the birds paid much attention to them. The nundicr 

 of eggs was usiwlly two. but sometimes only one. They are ih'srribcd as lu'iug L'.7."> 

 indies in length, and l.S(> in breadth. They have a pale-yellowish grouiul-color. spotted 

 with dark umlvr and faint purple. 



Die eg<j:s of this si)ecies are remarkablv uniform in their ireneral characttn-isties. 

 fhcir ground-«'olor is a buffy white, varying oidy in the intensity of the tinge. Tho 

 inaikings arc black, suffused with scpia-browii. with dark shades of the same dceiien- 

 iiig into blackness. F<nir eggs in the Smithsonian I'ollectioii. from the Tortugas, 

 present the following measurements : '2Ao by 1.75 inches ; '2Ao by l.^o ; '2.oo by 1.75; 

 and LMio by 1.75. 



Sterna elegans. 



THE ELEGANT TERN. 



St>-ma fU-jmui, Oamp.. Tr. riiila.l A.:i>i. IV. 1S4S, 1-.'S> (MiuatlaiO. — Lawu, in \UM'< IV N. Am. 



18.")S. StiO; I'll. ISliO, i>l. i>4. — n.ur.n, Cat. N. Am. H. IS.Mt, no. (iS4. — S\i\iui;s, \\ /..><. 



isrii, tUia (critioal). — KiDf.w. Xom. N. Am. I?. ISSl, no. OS-J. — Cocks, -Jd Cluvk List, 18SJ, 



P.O. riKI. 

 TlM!<i.i.-<tus f!<ii<iii.<i, (VvMM. .IiHirn. Phila.L Ai-aiL sor. "J, L 1S4>.>, 'J-JS, _ Cori:-;, ib. ISiVJ, .MO toiitical). 

 Stn-nn nniuitii, Plliu .\: Lvsnii. Wi.-gin. Antiiv, ISiiS('). IStUl, j>t. 1, IJii. 

 Stiniix ijiilcrii-itl-iln, FiNscii, At'li. Nat. 1S70, ."i.Mt Ol'zatlan : not of Li<irr. lS-.'3. whi.li = 



S. maxiinn, Ikum.). — Sn.. v<c .^Al.v. \\ 7.. S. LS71, TitiS. — Coce-s Ki'V, ISr-i, 3U» ; Chock List, 



1S73. no. MX 

 Si.nui (Thii!ii.'!.viif)ijtili-ri<-i(liitii, Corrs W. N. W. 1S74, iwl. 



H.\B. Pacitio coii.«t of Anu'ricn, from Cliili to riJiforiiia. No valid n'fcn^iuv fiMiii the .Vtlaiitio. 

 I'oasf. 



Si'. Char. Smaller than S. mrt.rim<i, aii<l (Uviilcdly mon- .•ilciulir. Bill iiitin' n'lMisli or.nigo. 

 Tail iuor>> deeply forkinl. Ailidl, in sprimj: rilouin. iiuliuling o(\iiiital civst and u|>|vr liaU" of 

 l"i'''s, deep Mack. Upi>er parts palo pearl-gniy (about the same sliaile as in cd,*/)/!! luiil ina.rimii), 

 liii'iniing i>nre white on the lowir part of tlio rinup, npi^'V lail-ooviats, aiul tail ; ontiT surfa.'o of 

 priiuarii'sHght liilverv gray, tin- inner wi'lis i'.l.;fd with wliiti' ; iniui- «.liso|' piiniarit's iuai'ke<l 

 tn xt tlie shaft with u broad .stripe of dark gray, this color, f-Viopt on tlie outer tiuill, extending 



' ! 



